Automatic lubricator



Agg. 26, 1930.

M. P. HOLMES- AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOR Filed July 23,1 1927 bww/Zoff Morals' 170272268. by 4 Hwy.

vPatented Aug. 26, 1930 y UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE MORRIS r1 HOLMES, or `CLARRMON'r, NRW HAMPSHIRE, AssIGNOR rro :SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION oFHMAssAcIIUsETTs AUTOMATIC LURRICATOR f 'L Appucation mea Lily 2s, 1927. serial No. 209,109.

-My rinvention lrelates to automatic lubricators. v

An obj ect of the invention is to provide an improved automatic lubricator for fluid pre-ssure lines adapted to function in a plurality of positions. Another object is to provide an improved lubricator for use in a mining machine adapted to operate in any cutting position of the machine. f A still further obj ect lo is to provide a plurality of filling openings for a lubricant reservoir so that the same may be filled Whenever any part of the lubricator is inaccessible. Other objects and advanv tages will subsequently more fully appear.

In the laccompanying drawings I have shownfor purposes of illustration one Vformy which my invention may rassume in practice.

In these draW1ngs,-

A- Fig. l illustrates amlning machine partly u in'elevation and partly in section having my improved lubricator associated therewith.

Fig. 2shovvs a longitudinal vertical sectionl L through the lubricator. y Fig. 3l is va vertic` l section on the line er-Figa. Y 1

\ Fig. 4 is an end elevational'view ofthe miningmachine shown in Fig. 1.

A" The mining machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 may be of any Well'knovvn type adapted for overcutting and undercutting. The particular machine illustrated" has a feed sec- *tion 1,Ya motor'section 2,'and a cutter bar carrying ysection 3 held-together by suitable retaining means i4. The section F3 lhas a swingingfcutter bar 5 pivotally mounted thereon andV this cutter bar carries fa cutter bit chain 6. -As shown in Fig. 4 a suitable handle 7 for controlling the motor projects f from the end vof the feed section andi another handle 8 is located on the opposite side of the f machine `for controlling the feeding mechanism (notshown). yThe feed section 1 has an internal compartment 9 through which leads a line 10 for conveying motive fluid to the motor section from a supply line 11. A

i improved-lubricator kWhich is generally des-4 ignated y14 is disposed in the compartment 9 and'connected in thefluid supply yline 10.' As better illustrated inFigs. 2 and 3, the lubricator comprises a lubricant reservoir 15,y fluid passages 16 and 17 for conducting the motive 55 luid` around the i reservoir, and internally threaded portionslS and 19 for connection to the supply line., The lubricant'reservoir has threaded internal openings 2O and 21 in communication with the fluid conveying passages 16 -and 17 respectively, for receiving vent plugs 22. Each'of thesevent lplugs has an opening 23 ofrestricted size for a purpose to be later set forth. v'fheouter lWalls of the fluidl conductingpassages- 16 and 17 have threaded openings 24 disposedinalinement l with the vent plugs, and in each of these openings a removable plug 25 is placed in order that the vent plugs may be accessible for cleaning'purposes.' f

I have provideda plurality-of means for introducing lubricant into the reservoirk 15 so that at least one filling connection is acv cessible in anyposition of the lubricator. As

lubricant reservoir at 30 and this opening is 85 adapted to be closed bya removable plug 31.

A similar lling opening 32 and removable plug`33 are located on the bottom sideoi the lubricator sothat when the plug 31 is inaccessiblethe plug 33 may be removed for filling the reservoir. The mining machine casing has 'threaded openings 34 disposed in aline- A ment Withthe iller Vplugs 31 and 33 and thesev openings are closedV by removable plugs 35 so that the lubricant reservoir may be filled 95 through the mining machine casing "in the event that the member 27 is inaccessible.

In operation, assuming the lubricator to be inthe position shown in Figs. 2 andk 3, pressure fluid will flow Jfrom the `connection 19 through the passages 16 and 17 to the connection 18 at the opposite side of the lubricator. The upper opening 23 will serve to equalize the pressure between the lubricant reservoir and the fluid conducting passages and lubricant Will iiow through the lower opening 23'into the fluid conducting passage 17, Where it is picked up by the current of motive Huid and carried into the line 10, thus continuously supplyinglubricant to the motor along with the motive fluid. If the lubricator is now inverted, as when theV mining machine is turned from the overcutting position shown in Fig. 1 to the undercutting position, the vent opening which formerly f served as an outlet for lubricant will now opcrate as an equalizing passage, and the vent opening which is in the lower position will `operate as the lubricant outlet, thus supplying lubricant to the motor in the same manw ner as in the other position. The manner of filling the lubricant reservoir will be obvious 'from the above description of the filling connections and filler plugs.

It will of course be understood thatmy lubricator is not limited to the shape shown or to use Vin a miningl machine, but may be used in connection with any fiuid. pressure motor suoli as commonly employed in rock drills,

`being thus made much wider and lower to cause it to rest firmly in one of its more effee-tive positions. The advantage of the pluralit)7 of vent openings in the reservoir at different levels when the lubricator is con neet-ed in a flexible line will be obvious since the lubricator is very apt tovbe accidentally turned over into any position.

Vhile I have in this application specifically7 described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is used for purposes of lillustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters `Patent is:

CII

1. An automatic lubricator for fluid pres-' sure motors comprising a casing adapted to beiconnected in the fluid pressure line, a lubricant reservoir in said casing having` a pluralityfof openings therein at different levels, and means for subjecting each of said-openings to fluid pressure in said casing whereby the upper one of said openings in any of a plurality of positions of the lubricator is adaptedto serve as an inlet for pressure fluid fronrsaid casing while lubricant iiows by gravity through the other of said openings.

2. Ina miningv machine,an enclosed casing having a compartment therein, a fluidl pressure line leading through said compartment, and an automatic lubricator connected in said lineand disposed in said compartment, said lubricator comprisingv a lubricant reservoir having a plurality of openings therein at different levels, means for conducting pressure fluid through said lubricator, said conducting means communicating with said openings whereby the one of said openings above the level of lubricant in said reservoir in any of a plurality of positions of the lubricator constitutes an inlet for pressure fluid while lubricant flows by gravity through the other of said openings.

3. In a lubricating system, a casing having therein an automatic lubricator for a uid pressure motor, said lubricator comprising a lubricant reservoir having a plurality of restricted openings therein at different levels, means for conducting motive fiuid around said reservoir to said motor comprising passages above and below the reservoir each communicating with one of' said openings, and selectively removable means for closing a plurality of filling openings at different levels in said reservoir, and removable plugs in said casing in alincment with said filling openings to pe mit access to said removable closing means.

4l. An automatic lubricator for a fluid pressure line comprising a lubricant reservoir, a plurality of' passages communicating withfsaid fluid pressure line and opening into said reservoir at different levels, either of said passages adapted to supply lubricant by gravity into said fluid pressure line when said reservoir is in such position that it is below the level of lubricant and to conduct pressure fluidinto said reservoir when it is above said level, and filling openings communicating with said reservoir at different levels.

5. In a mining machine, an enclosed casing having a compartment therein, a' fluid pressure line leading through said compart-v ment, and an automatic lubricator connected in said line and disposed in said compartment, said lubricator comprising a lubricant reservoir, a plurality of passagesy communieating with said fluid pressure line and open-1; ying into said reservoir at different levels,

either of said passages adapted to supply lubricant by gravity into said Huid pressure line when said reservoir is in such a position that it is below the level of lubricant or to conduct pressure Huid into said reservoir when it is above said level, and selectively removable means permitting filling said lubricant reservoir through opposite sides of said mining 'machine casing. y

6. In a mining machine, an enclosed easing having a compartment therein, a fluid pressure line leading through said compartment and an automatic lubrieator connected in saidline anddisposed in said compartment, said lubricator comprising a lubricant reservoir having a plurality of restricted openings' therein at different levels, means for conducting motive fluid around said reservoir t'o said motor comprising passages above with one of said` openings, means for lling f Y y 17,774,271 i and below the reservoir, each communicating n said lubricant reservoir comprising passages extending through said fluid conducting passages and close'dby removableplugs so that at least one may beaeeessible in any position of the machine, said mining machine casing having an opening therein disposed 1n aline ment With each of said plugs, and removable plugs for each of said latter openings.

7. An automatic lubrieator for pressure:

fluid motors comprising a easing adapted to be connected in the pressurerfluid line and having means forming therein a lubricant reservoir, sai-d reservoir forming means having spaced openings'therein, said casing being disposable duringuse of said lubricator yin a substantially horizontal positionr in which one of said openings is at a higher level than the other and also in a diiferent substantially horizontal position in which the last mentioned one of said openings is at a higher level than the rst, and said casing having means extending therethrough for eonductingpressure Huid to be supplied With lubricant and with which said openings coinrnunieate, whereby in either of said casing positions the upper one of said openings is adapted to serve as an inlet for pressure iiuid While lubricant yflows by gravityy through the other of saidopenings. y

Y In testimony whereoi1 I aix my signature.

MORRISy P. HOLMES. 

